Piano-mandolin



March 21, 1939.

s. MICHNIEWICZ PIANO-MANDOLIN 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 1936 INVENTOR. EW/CZ.

MCH/V/ A T TOkNEY March 21, 1939. s MICHNIEWICZ I 2,151,133

PIANO-MANDOLIN Filed Nov. 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. 5. MGH/WEM KJZ March 21, 1939.

S. MICHNIEWICZ PIANO-MANDOLIN Filed Nov. 28, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. 5. MCH/V/EW/GZ 4TTORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 19 Claims.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly to an instrument which may be referred to as a piano-mandolin.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a musical instrument with the sound of an instrument resembling a mandolin but having a control or keyboard resembling a piano.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a novelly constructed instrument for carrying out the foregoing object, namely by means of simple revoluble picks, brushes, or the like, repeatedly engaging strings selectively shiftable into the path of the former.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a variety of picks, brushes, or the like for selectively varying the timbre or producing different quality of tones, and further such means whereby any of the picks, brushes, or the like, may be controlled or shifted into play while engaging the strings, that is, while the instrument is being played on without interruption of the playing.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of means for producing at will, string of shorter length, or harmonics of the ordinary pitch of the strings.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for damping the strings immediately after the same are plucked or vibrated, and means in connection therewith for manually withdrawing said damping means at will.

An important object also of this invention is the provision of a musical instrument of this class which is relatively simple and economical of construction proportionate to its manifold functions, in which the parts are readily accessible, and which will not readily get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a musical instrument having certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a musical instrument embodying my invention of the pianomandolin;

Fig. 2 is a section in plan, showing the general arrangement of the keys and strings, and operating means therefor, the section taken through 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one of the musical string supporting frames;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation thereof, taken through 44 of Fig. 3; 5 Fig. 4a is an enlarged fragmentary elevation showing the connection between the string carrying bar and the key actuated bar shifting means;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation 10 thereof through the middle portion of the instrument;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View in plan showing the string picking mechanism, and showing by dotted lines the method of shifting the string picks;

Figs. 6a and 6b are fragmentary elevations of the pick shifting cams, taken at 6a6a and lib-6b of Fig. 6;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary elevation of the string pick mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section in plan showing the damper releasing means and the cam mechanism for effecting the harmonics; and

Fig. 9 is reduced phantom view in plan showing the knee operating levers for releasing the muting mechanism and for effecting the harmonies of the strings.

My musical instrument, as illustrated in the drawings, is encased in a cabinet in the semblance of a horizontal type piano. It comprises, in its outward appearance, a music box I, supported on legs 2, and having a keyboard in front consisting of keys 3. The musical strings of the instrument are arranged in groups, as will be described hereinafter, and are enclosed in separate cabinets or housings 4, 5, 6, 1, and 8 rising above and circularly arranged around the middle portion of the music box. The instrument has a depending bracket 9 on which are supported preferably a pair of pedals I9 and H, the former for controlling the speed of picking or vibration of the strings, and the latter for controlling the timbre or quality of tone. Below the box I are levers l2 and i3, shiftable by the players left and right knees, for controlling respectively the shortening of or bringing about the harmonics of the strings, and the latter for controlling the damping of the strings.

The cabinets or housings 4, 5, 6, l, and 8 enclose or cover the front open sides of frames 4 5 6 l and 8 respectively, the latter frames extending higher than the cabinets at the front sides. Fig. 4, for convenience of illustration, shows the frames and the cabinets at the front thereof to be of the same height. On the upper portion of each frame, within the housing, is a transverse bar 2| having supporting hooks 2| from which the string supporting bars 22 are vertically suspended on wires 22*. These bars have slightly yieldable downwardly extended spring arms 22 which slide in radial slots 23 in the annular support 23 and prevent lateral movement but allow radial shifting of the lower ends of the bars. These spring arms allow the strings to be pushed inwardly easily into the circular path of the string picks, and such easy shifting of the strings is limited by the engagement of the lower ends of the spring arm 22 with the bottom of the radial slots 23 In order to shift the strings farther into the path of the picks, and thereby increase the tone quality, greater force must be applied to the keys to bend the spring arms 22 to a greater extent. The lower ends of these bars are also provided with long horizontal arms 22 which extend into radial slots 24 formed between spaced vertical rods 24 separating a pair of supporting discs 24 at their periphery. These arms 22 prevent twisting of the bars but allow radial shifting of the lower ends of the bars. These bars carry at their inner edges the musical strings 25, the tension of which are adjusted by screws 26 at the upper ends of the bars.

These bars are shifted inwardly by the selected keys 3, one key for each string. The keys are mounted similar to the keys of a piano, as shown in Fig. 5. To each key is connected one end of a cable 21, which may extend over various sheaves 28, and is then connected at the opposite end to the lower end of the lever 29 which is pivoted intermediate its end at the inner side of the annular support 23. The upper end of the lever has a pivoted link 30 which is threaded at its free end and has a leather nut 30 and inwardly therefrom a rubber bushing 30*, over which is placed the lower forked end of the arm 22 which also extends downwardly from the bar 22. Thus, depressing a key 3, shifts the respective bar inwardly at its lower end.

The forked portion of the arm is substantially dovetailed so that the forked portion may first be placed astride the shank of the link 30 and then moved longitudinally over the bushing 30' against the nut 30*, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 4'. The dotted illustration of the lower forked end shows the latter end about to be placed over or removed from the shank of the link 30.

On the platform 24 is rotatably mounted the pick carrying disc 4| which is operatively connected, by an axial downwardly extending tube 4|, to any desired means for rotating the same, such as by a motor 42, the speed of which may be controlled in any suitable manner (not shown) by the foot pedal II]. On the disc are pivotally mounted pick supports 43 and 44 which are alternately positioned at the peripheral portion, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The pivotal axes of these supports are parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc. These supports fit over pins 45 carried by the disc 4| and are removably held in place by spring wires 46 on the supports 43 and 44, which wires enter grooves at the ends of the pins.

Each of the supports carry several outwardly directed string picks of different grades or character. Each of the supports 43 carries a very soft pick 4'! and a stiffer but yieldable rubber pick 48, angularly spaced from the former, but in a lower horizontal plane. The pick 41 is a brush and consists preferably of a. tuft of bristles of hair, fibres, gut, or the like. Each of the supports 44 also carries a very soft pick 47 and a relatively stiff and preferably Celluloid pick 49 set in yieldable rubber, the latter being also angularly spaced from the pick 41, but preferably in the same horizontal plane. The latter pick 41 is in the same plane with the pick 41 of the support 43.

These picks are so shifted about their pivot pins that only the picks of one class or grade engage or vibrate the musical strings. The picks 41 and 49 engage or strike the strings directly, but the rubber picks 48 strike yieldable flaps 50 which extend from the bars 22 adjacent the strings 25, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. These flaps may be made of felt or leather, or both.

The means illustrated for directly pivoting or shifting the pick supports about their pivots 45 consists of a pair of superimposed star wheels 56 and 51, each having a plurality of radiating arms 56 and 51 respectively, the ends of which enter recesses 43 and 44, respectively, at the inner sides of the pick supports, or engage cam surfaces at the inner sides of said supports adjacent said recesses, as shown.

These star wheels are coaxial with the disc 4|, are rotatable therewith, but also adjustable arcuately relative thereto. Such adjustment is effected by cams 58 and 59 which extend upwardly respectively from the star wheels 56 and 51 and spaced radially from their axes. These cams have cam slots 58 and 59 in which slide pins or rollers 50 and 6|, respectively, which extend preferably in diametrically opposite directions from the upper end of an axial rod 62. The disc 4| has upwardly extending slotted portions 4| having vertical slots in which the pins 60 and BI slide vertically. These slotted portions thus nonrotatably lock the disc 4| to the star wheels 56 and 51, except when the pins or rollers and 6| are raised or lowered. (These shifting mechanisms will be hereinafter referred to as cams or cam means.) Thus the pick supports may be pivoted or rotatably adjusted by the axial adjustment of the rod 62 while the disc 4| is rotated.

The vertically slotted portions 4| consist of diametrically opposed brackets extending upwardly from the disc 4| and bridged over the shifting rod 62. The cams 58 and 59 are also bridged over the brackets 4| b and are all secured together by a bolt 66 at the pivotal axis of said members. Thus, the star wheels 56 and 51 are held against the disc 4|.

The rod 62 extends downwardly below the box and has a swivel 65 at its lower end. This swivel is axially shiftable by a lever 63 which is pivotally connected at one end to the swivel. The other end of the lever 63 is pivotally connected to the foot pedal II by a rod 64. It will be noted that there are three grades of picks, and consequently three principal positions of the star wheels and of the push rod 62. These three po sitions are predetermined by notches 9 9 and 9 in the bracket 9, the first, in this instance, indicating the soft picks or soft music and the last the hard picks or sharp music.

The vibrations of the musical strings are primarily transmitted at their upper ends to sound bars 1|, one of which is mounted at the upper end of each of the frames 4 5 6 1, and 8, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4. Each musical string at'the upper end of the string supporting bar is resiliently held against its respective sound bar by a wire 12 hooked over the free end of a spring I3 mounted on the supporting bar 2| carried by each of the aforementioned musical string carrying frames. Behind each sound bar is positioned a sound transmitting cone 14, which may be made of a heavy paper and is positioned at the front side of the string carrying frame and in such a manner as to be freely movable, that is, the outer edge of the cone is wholly free from engagement with the frame in which it is located. The apex of the cone is connected to the middle portion of the bar II by a rod 15, which rigidly supports the cone on the bar.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each of the strings, that is, the bar 22 supporting the respective string, may be separately and easily detached and removed from the springs I3, hooks 2 I and the lower forked arm from the lever 29, and from radial slots in the supports 23 and 24'.

The damping means for each string, except for the group of high pitch notes in the cabinet or housing 4, consists of a felt member 8| which is carried at the free end of a resilient arm 82 secured at the upper end of a lever 83 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the side of the bar 22 supporting the particular string. The lower end 83a of the lever is bent inwardly, is normally free from the cushioned peripheral edge 84 of the base 84 which supports the musical string carrying frames 4 5 B I and 8*. As the particular key 3 is depressed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and its string 25 shifted inwardly,

the bar 22 forces the lower end of the lever 83 against the stop or edge 84 which causes the lever to rock on its pivot and cause the damping member 8! to be released from its string. The timing of the movements of the various elements may be such that the strings may be moved into the path of the revolving picks and the lever portion 83 moved into engagement with the cushioned ledge or edge 84 while the damping member 8| still slightly engages the respective string, as shown in Fig. 4. Further depression of the same key disengages the damping member from the string, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Each lever 83 is urged at its lower end towards the cushion stop I34" by springs 85 carried on the bars 22.

All of the dampers or damping members BI may be held in released positions from the strings by any suitable manual means, such as the lever I3, which is adapted to be shifted outwardly by the right knee. This lever is pivotally mounted on a bracket 86 at the underside of the box I, and has at its rear end a lateral arm I3 which is connected at its end by a cable 81 which extends over a plurality of sheaves 81 to and around other sheaves 8% at the top side of the base 84'. This cable is connected intermediate the sheaves 81 with pivoted cams 88 which, when swung about the pivots by the cables, are adapted to force outwardly certain U-shaped yokes 89 which are pivoted at the upper ends of its legs on the frames 5 6 1 and 8 These cams are urged in receded positions by a spring 90 which is secured at its ends respectively to the base 84 and the last cam I05 in the chain, so that the yokes 89 are permitted normally to move to their inactive or disengaged positions with respect to the damping levers 83. When the yokes are forced outwardly, they engage, with their lower cross portions, fingers 95 secured to the inner sides of the lower ends of the damping levers 83.

In order to produce harmonics of the musical strings, I have provided a rocker or rocking bar IOI on each frame 4 5 6 I and I3 which is provided intermediate its ends with slightly resilient arms I02 which have at their ends yieldable stop members I03, such as felt. These members I03 are positioned to engage the strings, when desired, at the designated portions intermediate the ends of the strings to produce harmonics of the particular string. The rocker is provided with a depending arm I04 which extends below the base 84 and is adapted to be oscillated at its free end by cams I 05 pivoted at the underside of the base 84. The stop members I03 are normally held in disengaged relation from the strings by springs I06 acting on the arms I04, shown best in Fig. 3. The cams are all connected together, as a chain, by cable means I01, and then over a sheave I08 to the free end of a lateral arm I2 at the rear end of the lever I2, which is also pivoted on the bracket 80 and adapted to be shifted or operated by the left knee of the player. The last cam I05 in the chain is forced by a spring I09 in a direction opposed to the pull of the cable and holds the cable taut.

It will be noted that for the two groups of musical strings in the cabinets or housings I and 8, in order to produce the proper harmonics, the stop members I03 are positioned above the rockers IOI (not shown), thus necessitating the rocking of the arm I04 inwardly. For this reason, the cams I05 and I05" are provided with slots 35 of angularity opposite to the corresponding cam surfaces I05 of the other cams, as shown in Fig. 8.

Thus when the left knee is shifted to the left, the stop members I03 engage the musical strings 25 and produce the desired harmonics.

On the front panel I I I may be mounted a movable pointer I I2 for visibly indicating to the player the type of picks which are selected to operate on the strings, that is, the timbre of the tones to be expected or to be played. This pointer may be connected and rocked in any desired manner by the rods or lever 62, 63 and 64, by any suitable mechanism, not shown.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions of my new piano-mandolin, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a string picking means revolubly mounted thereon, means for revolving the same, a multiplicity of movable spring supporting bars carrying separate musical strings, the strings being arranged substantially in a circle in juxtaposition relative to the picking means, and means for positively shifting predetermined bars and thereby their respective strings into the path of the revolving picking means.

2. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon and provided with a multiplicity of picks rotatably mounted at the peripheral portion of the disc, means for continuously revolving the disc, means for rotating the picks on the disc, a multiplicity of musical strings shiftably mounted on the frame, and keys for shifting said strings into the path of the picks carried by the disc.

3. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon and provided with a multiplicity of picks rotatably mounted at the peripheral portion of the disc, on axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc, means for continuously revolving the disc, means for rotating the picks on the disc, a multiplicity of musical strings shift-ably mounted on the frame, and keys for shifting said strings into the path of the picks carried by the disc.

4. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports shiftably mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for adjusting the pick supports on the disc in such a manner that only the picks of the desired grade engage the string.

5. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports shiftably mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for adjusting the pick supports on the disc in such a manner that only the picks of the desired grade engage the string, said means being so constructed as to adjust said pick supports while the latter are rotated with said disc.

6. In a musical instrument of the class described, a. frame, a disc revolubly mounted there on, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports shiftably mounted on the disc each having a plurality of picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for adjusting each pick support on the disc in such a manner that only the picks of the desired grade engage the string.

7. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted there- 011, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted,

8. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted, said means being so constructed as to adjust said pick supports while the latter are rotated with said disc.

9. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and cam means mounted on and rotatable with the disc and also relative thereto, said cam means being connected with the pick supports for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted.

10. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc and provided with picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, cam means mounted on and rotatable with the disc and also relative thereto, said cam means being connected with pick supports for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted, and manual means for operating the cam means while the disc is rotated.

11. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc, each having a plurality of angularly spaced picks of different grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and cams mounted on and coaxially with the disc, revoluble therewith and relative thereto, each cam being connected with certain of the pick supports for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted.

12. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports pivotally mounted on the disc, each having a plurality of angularly spaced picks of diiferent grades of stiffness, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, cams mounted on and coaxially with the disc, revoluble therewith and rela tive thereto, each cam being connected with certain of the pick supports for shifting the desired picks about the pivotal axes of their respective supports to cause said picks, when said disc is rotated, to engage the string when shifted, and manual means for operating the cams the desired amount.

13. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports shiftably mounted on the disc, each support having a pick formed of a tuft of bristles, yieldable rubber picks on certain of said supports and angularly spaced from first picks, flexible Celluloid picks on certain others of said supports and also angularly spaced from the first picks thereon, a musical string on the frame for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and cam means for adjusting the pick supports on the disc in such a manner that only one kind of picks engage the string.

14. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of pick supports shiftably mounted on the disc, each support having a pick formed of a tuft of bristles, yieldable rubber picks on certain of said supports and angularly spaced from first picks, flexible Celluloid picks on certain others of said supports and also angularly spaced from the first picks thereon, a musical string on the frame for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, cams mounted on and coaxial With the disc, revoluble therewith and relative thereto, one cam being connected with said certain pick supports and another cam being connected with said certain other supports, and manual means for selectively operating said cams on said disc in such a manner that only one kind of picks engage the string.

15. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, musical strings arranged arcuately thereon, means for vibrating the desired string, a damper for each string, each of the latter being disengaged from its string when the aforementioned means is operated to vibrate said string, a plurality of devices, each adapted to actuate a plurality of dampers, and manual means for operating all of the devices for Withdrawing all of the dampers from the strings.

16. In a musical instrument of the class described, a box having a key board at the front side, a string vibrating means revolubly mounted on a vertical axis at the top of the box, means for controlling the revolution of said means. musical strings arranged vertically in groups circularly around the string vibrating means, each string being shiftable at one end into the path of the revolving vibrating means by one of the keys, a separate damper for each group of strings,

and unitary means operating all of the dampers.

17. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a string picking means revo1u bly mounted thereon, means for revolving the same, a multiplicity of movable string supporting bars carrying separate musical strings, the

- strings being arranged circularly in juxtaposition relative to the picking means, and means for positively shifting predetermined bars, and thereby their respective strings, into the path of the revolving picking means.

18. In a musical instrument of the class described, a frame, a disc revolubly mounted thereon, means for controlling the revolution of the disc, a multiplicity of picks shiftably mounted on the disc, a musical string on the frame, means for shifting the string and revolving picks relative to each other, and means for adjusting the picks on the disc, said means being so constructed as to adjust said picks While the latter are rotated with said disc.

19. In a musical instrument of the class described, a box having a key board at the front side, a string vibrating means revolubly mounted on a vertical axis in the box, means for controlling the revolution of said means, musical strings. arranged vertically in groups circularly around the string vibrating means, each string being shiftable at one end into the path of the revolvmg vibrating means by one of the keys, a separate harmonic producing means for each group of strings, and unitary means for operating all of said harmonic producing means.

STANISLAW MICHNIEW'ICZ. 

